Abracadabra!

We went out the other day to run errands and help a friend set up her new iMac. When we returned, the mess in our basement was magically gone!

Before

After

Ha, actually, no, it was Kevin. In the last two days, he's taken up the carpet and floor tiles that were there and put down a Dricore sub-floor. We originally thought we'd leave the tiled area but on closer examination, it's not great tile. It chips easily and the colour/pattern is only on the surface. Also, it breaks up the space so we decided to have it removed and do the whole basement in a nice cherry laminate. It'll be a much warmer, more inviting space.

Before the flooring goes in however, there's a pipe and a drain that need to be dealt with. In the 'after' photo above, you can see a short piece of pipe that sticks up from the concrete floor. This is where the bathroom was originally located, until the previous owner moved it to the other side of the location. The pipe and water hook-up in the wall next to it were left in place in case someone wanted to install a kitchen and turn the basement into an income property. Randy and I aren't the landlord type and even if we were, one viewing of 'Pacific Heights' would have put an end to that notion. In addition to the pipes, the concrete in this area also needs some leveling. Lots of work for Kevin. Did I mention how much we like Kevin?

The Dricore goes in

Our stack of Dricore

Clean laundry and more storage...

The basement's nowhere near done but it's coming along. The pocket door for the bathroom was put in place and the plumbing and electrical behind the washer/dryer area was tidied up. We found an old gas line behind the wall and had to call the gas company to come out and make sure it was no longer in use. Part of the gas line was removed and capped to gain a few inches. In a tiny space, every little bit counts!

The bones of the pocket door

Last week we were in desperate need of clean clothes. Our old machines were dismantled and the new ones were waiting to be hooked up. Things looked dire and we contemplated having to use a local laundromat. My last experience with one was over 12 years ago and involved a complete stranger digging through my washer and dryer, thinking it was hers. My fault for leaving it unattended, even for a split second. Lucky for us, Kevin installed them before the weekend, even though he's not quite done with the laundry area. I was never so happy to do laundry in my life!

They look black but they're really 'Royal Grape'

Compared to the before picture (see the earlier post below), there's a lot more light in this area now. Yay! Granted, it's just a hanging light bulb on the end of an electrical cord, but it'll be a real light fixture just as soon as we find one we like. It needs to be close to the ceiling since Randy's quite tall (his head just clears the doorway by a couple inches).

The inner pocket door is done and just needs framing

On to the basement steps which have been closed off to provide a little more storage space. We really like the look of it better than the open steps. The plan is to install an access door that will blend into the wall. Previously, the door was a louvered, bi-fold door. We think it was there before the carpet was installed because the door would catch on the carpet every time we tried to open it.

Our garden gnome...

We have a gnome with what looks like a toadstool in the garden. The previous homeowner left him behind. I originally thought I'd have to have a de-gnoming of the garden but he's grown on me over the last couple weeks. I've never been one for garden ornaments but I think he's charming and adds some character to the garden. Besides, he was here first and has squatter's rights.

The laundry...

The laundry area was in a closet in the basement bathroom. This meant that we couldn't put in a load of laundry if the bathroom was in use, which we didn't like. We also weren't crazy about the louvered, bi-fold doors, especially since they tend to knock against the washer/dryer knobs (the dryer knob was already broken). We also couldn't open the detergent drawer without popping out one side of the bi-fold door (very inconvenient). Then there was the very unattractive utility sink next to the washer/dryer in the closet. I guess if it's in a closet, it doesn't matter if it's pretty or not but we wanted open up the laundry closet and move the bathroom door so that it closed off the bathroom only, leaving the laundry area open. So pretty it will have to be, or at least presentable. Don't want to scare any overnight guests on their way to the bathroom.

The basement bathroom/laundry area

The old laundry machines

Since we appreciate wearing clean clothes and we're certain our friends would prefer us to wear clean clothes, we had Kevin start right away on the laundry area. He pulled out the old machines, removed the doors and cleaned up the area to make way for our new washer/dryer. Directly across from the laundry area was a small storage closet. In order to put in a new door for the bathroom, the left wall of the closet had to be moved. The plus side of this was a larger storage closet which we're thinking of leaving open and just putting in some base cabinets with a counter for folding laundry. The downside is a slightly smaller bathroom. Oh well, can't have everything.

The demolition begins

The wall between the laundry area and the bathroom was removed and will be re-built with a pocket door to save space. I have to say, I love pocket doors. They're so very cool.

We're handy but...

Randy and I are great with a paint brush and handy with minor stuff such as installing book shelves and assembling Ikea furniture but when it comes to moving walls, plumbing and electricals, we admit it, we're wimps. Enter our favourite contractor, Kevin. He's been working hard at getting our laundry area and basement bathroom cleaned up and usable. Our new laundry machines are slightly bigger than the space allows and we wanted to redesign the space to be more efficient. Things have been moving along and we have before pictures which we'll post soon. Please stay tuned for updates.